Skip to content
buybitcoinsmart

CoinSpot vs Independent Reserve

Comparing
two exchanges
Decided by
Editorial rating
Last reviewed
2026-08-23

Australia's largest exchange by user count, with the widest set of local funding rails and a 0.1 percent market-order fee for anyone who avoids the instant-buy button.

Sydney exchange aimed at serious and self-managed-super buyers, and the first in Australia to publish regular proof-of-reserves attestations.

Verdict: Independent Reserve

Independent Reserve rates higher on our rubric: 4.5 against 4.4 for CoinSpot.

Criterion
Editorial rating
CoinSpot
4.4
Independent Reserve
4.5

CoinSpot and Independent Reserve, fact by fact

Every row is from the two reviews as of their review dates, with sources on each. A check marks the side a decidable criterion favours; rows without one are information, not a score.

CoinSpot and Independent Reserve compared fact by fact from their reviews; a check marks the side a decidable criterion favours.
FactCoinSpotIndependent Reserve
Editorial rating4.44.5 (favoured on this row)
Published fees0.1% market, 1% instant buyFrom 0.5%, free bank funding
Maker fee0.1 percent on the market-order screen0.50 percent, falling to 0.02 percent across nine volume tiers
Taker fee0.1 percent on the market-order screen0.50 percent, falling to 0.02 percent across nine volume tiers
Identity verificationRequiredRequired
Bitcoin-onlyNoNo
Payment rails supported43
Countries ranked in11
Ranks first in00
Countries shared11
Security recordNo record on fileNo record on file
Founded20132013
HeadquartersMelbourne, Victoria, AustraliaSydney, New South Wales, Australia
Last reviewed2026-08-232026-08-23

Where both CoinSpot and Independent Reserve are ranked

Each country guide ranks its own roster on published fees, security record and local payment support, so the two can sit in a different order from one country to the next.

Countries whose guide ranks both CoinSpot and Independent Reserve, with each platform's position in that guide.
CountryStatusCoinSpot ranksIndependent Reserve ranksComparison
AustraliaLegal#2#5Best exchanges there

Frequently asked questions

Is CoinSpot or Independent Reserve better?

Independent Reserve rates higher on our rubric: 4.5 against 4.4 for CoinSpot. The rating weighs published fees, security record and local payment support; the table above sets each beside the other so you can check the score against the facts.

Which is cheaper, CoinSpot or Independent Reserve?

CoinSpot: 0.1% market, 1% instant buy. Independent Reserve: From 0.5%, free bank funding. Those are each platform's published headline rates; card purchases and instant-buy widgets cost more than the order book on both, and each review carries the full schedule.

Where can I use both CoinSpot and Independent Reserve?

Both are ranked in our guides for Australia. CoinSpot is ranked in 1 countries in all and Independent Reserve in 1; each country guide ranks its own roster, so the two can sit in a different order from one country to the next.

Has CoinSpot or Independent Reserve had a security incident?

CoinSpot carries no dated security record on our review yet, a gap in our records rather than a clean bill. Independent Reserve carries no dated security record on our review yet, a gap in our records rather than a clean bill. Both reviews list every event with its source.

Do CoinSpot and Independent Reserve require ID verification?

CoinSpot: required. Independent Reserve: required.

The full reviews: CoinSpot and Independent Reserve, each with its sources, and every exchange we review.

More comparisons

Every other head-to-head CoinSpot or Independent Reserve appears in.